Starlit Nights and other Casualties
by ShindaHotaru
Summary: "When we're grown-up's, I want to keep on watching the stars like this with you." A collection of short fics. Rated M for future contents. Mostly ZoSan.
1. Wishes

At the end of the day, and after a long passionate pillow fight, they were lying on the little balcony of Sanji's home, snuggled up against each other on their blankets and pillows. It was supposed to be a starlit night according to the weather forecast and so they wanted to enjoy the view of beautifully shining stars. Both of them had an obsession with the nightly sky, they would lay there occasionally on the very same balcony and point out different constellations to each other. Usually Sanji would come up with some great story about the Greeks and their theories about some constellations and Zoro always loved to listen to his story-telling, be it facts he had read in a book or a fairy tale he had been told. Zoro mostly loved it because his friend was for once not mocking him, therefore no reason for him to mock back and no reason for Sanji to kick him and eventually no reason for them both to fight. They would just lay there, Sanji's head on Zoro's shoulder, and stare up into the beautiful sky.

The mop of blonde hair shifted into his vision quickly before repositioning on Zoro's chest, an arm was draped over his belly, making warmth spread through his body from that spot. His best friend's voice was clear as the night sky and soft as the blanket underneath them as he spoke, "When we're grown-up's, I want to keep on watching the stars like this with you."


	2. Tiny Feet Set A Different Pace

"Zoro, you think I've changed?"

The sleepy voice of the blond man lying at his side crashed his last hopes of falling asleep. Usually sounding masculine and strong, it was now clearly audible how tired and exhausted he seemed of his own train of thoughts. He'd been this strange since dinner, when they had had a small celebration with their friends for their youngest mate finishing college. Since then, the other man seemed distracted, absentminded and bothered by something he couldn't stop torturing his mind with.

"Sure, everybody does." He tried to sound casual, to make obvious how it didn't bother him at all. The older man shifted and propped himself up on his elbow, the other arm lazily lying on his toned chest as he looked down at him wearing an expression of displeasure that even the dimly lit room couldn't hide. "Why does it matter?"

"Don't you miss my old me?" His voice was breaking at the edges, barely hiding the sad feelings that were gathering inside. "Don't you miss the fighting? How we used to get at each other's throats all the time?"

What a delicate question, and Zoro was in need of a very good and thoughtful answer. Rubbing his temple, he thought for a moment, remembered their former relationship before they had been a couple, before their duo had become a trio. He wrapped his arm tighter around his lover's waist and smiled up at him, "I don't. I do enjoy remembering all that and I liked you back then but I'm completely happy with what we are now."

Nodding, the blond settle back into the comfort of his lover's arms, not completely satisfied but he figured he had to accept that kind of answer. "Nami said that I've changed. She tried to force me into a suit but I told her off and-"

Zoro chuckled, "You told your beloved Nami-darling off? Yeah, you have definitely changed!"

After giving the green-haired man a healthy shove, he continued, "She said she hasn't seen me wearing any in awhile and if I didn't miss them."

"Well, do you?"

"I do… but I don't feel the need for them currently. With Kyouko being just a baby still, I think it's better I don't wear them and I'm not even leaving the house that often anymore that wouldn't make the effort worth it." He gasped and looked at his lover again, "Do you think that's bad?"

"No, that's how I think about it too. I've never worried about that because I'm sure that you'd be back wearing suits all the time and smoking shit all day long as soon as the little girl can walk on her own tiny feet."

Sanji chuckled, "Her tiny feet… they're really so tiny." Nuzzling his face into his boyfriend's neck, he imagined their little daughter walking on her own, clumsily balancing her weight on her small feet. As much as it made him smile, that was as much as the prospect of her growing up saddened him. Soon enough she wouldn't rely on him anymore, she wouldn't need him anymore as much as he needed her. The image of her turning her back on him one day made his heart sting with agony, he felt it breaking at the thought and clung to his lover even more.

Sighing at the sudden change of mood, Zoro planted a soft kiss to the other man's soft hair and rubbed his back gently. The past months had taught him how to act in these moments, though there was never a guarantee his methods would work their magic in particular situations. During the pregnancy months of their surrogate mother, the blond cook had adapted most of her behavior, especially the mood swings, the food cravings and had even grown a little bump. At first, it had worried him a lot, that maybe the sous-chef was obsessing over the baby too much (which in all honesty, he did) but Chopper had assured them that it was quite common for the fathers to live through their own version of pregnancy. A kind of devotion, so to say, that Zoro hoped was only ever directed towards their daughter and not the woman having brought her into this world.

Though, some of the cook's behavior was still unusual and not like their cook at all. Sometimes he would worry too much about Kyouko, sometimes he would spend too much time sitting at her crib just watching her, disregarding of his other duties. On some days it felt as if this family only consisted of him and her, leaving Zoro as just someone to bring in some money. Even though, technically, it was his baby. Releasing another sigh, he pushed those thoughts out of his head and concentrated back on his lover who was holding onto him as if he would fall into a deep hole without his support.

It would take some time for them to be back to normal, for their lives to fall back into their usual routine, as far as that would be possible with a child as their center of attention. But Zoro was sure, they would manage to find their own balance with the little extra weight.


End file.
